Red-witch
by Lady Firebird
Summary: Willow reads something that makes her move in with Angel... Spike and Xander are living together, and decide to visit old friends...


Disclaimer: ::Looks up at the gods:: "Can I have them?" ::gods laugh, throw lightning, and pass the popcorn:: "NO!!" ::Lady Firebird pouts::   
  
Note: It's all slashy goodness... well not all... but Xander and Spike belong together, so I wrote them that way!!   
  
  
Beware. Here there be Dragons. Here there be Vampires.  
  
Willow looked up from the dusty book on magic that Giles had given her. Here there be Vampires alright. Spike and Angel were busy having a quiet argument over in the corner of Giles' livingroom. She didn't know what they were fighting about, but she had heard her name mentioned, and she wanted to know why.   
  
"How is the book Willow?" Giles asked looking over Willows shoulder. "Is it as interesting as I thought?"   
  
"Oh yes! There's a whole lot of spells in here that deal with Vampires and stuff. The author also was a seer, and fortold some of the stuff that has happened here. I'm even mentioned. Did you know that me giving Angel back his soul was fortold? I'm called the Red-Witch. Isn't that great?" Willow looked up at Giles who had stopped listening a few sentances earlier. She turned to look at the Vampires that had caught his attention. Angel held Spike in a fierce embrace, and was petting his bleached head while whispering soothing nonsense.  
  
"It's alright Spike. I'm not him. I'd never do that to you. I'm still your Grand-Sire, I'm just a better one. I forgive you. I love you. And even though you're not really mine, you're my favorite Childe. I'll never lose you Spike. I'm sure it's fine. It's going to be fine. I'll make it fine. You'll see. And he's not Dru. He won't hurt you like that. He's the one that's hurting. He needs you strong. It's alright William. I'm here.... Your Sire's here. Angel hugged Spike closer to him, and that was when Willow noticed that Spike was crying. Tears of blood dripped down his face, as he opened his undead heart to his Sire.  
  
"It must have been Spike that called Angel here. I was beginning to wonder. I think that they needed to work some things out." Giles whispered to Willow, who nodded in responce. When Angel had shown up during the rainstorm eariler, Buffy had hurried off, and Spike had hurried in. They had sat together and started a quiet argument, that had lasted for two hours. Willow had been reading the whole time.  
  
Angel and Spike broke apart, and Spike said something about finding his Nummy and went out into the darkness. Angel went over to the couch that Willow was sitting on and sat down next to her.   
  
"What are you reading?" Angel asked, looking over Willows shoulder.   
  
"Oh! It's a old book about magic, and stuff. It's really neat. It's slow going though, because I don't understand all the Gaelic that the author is using." Willow pointed out a passage that made no sense.  
  
"The Red-Witch, and the Warrior will share their path, and find happiness." Angel read. He looked at the bright red of Willows face, and stopped. "Do you know who the Red-Witch is?" He asked.  
  
"It's me. All the refrences refer to things that I've done. Or am about to do." Willow turned back a few pages, and showed Angel another part. "Look, this is about me giving you your soul." Angel took the book from her and read the part that she had pointed out outloud.  
  
"There will be a time of darkness for the Warrior, but the Red-Witch, with love in her heart will restore what has been torn away, and will bless what had once been cursed." Angel looked up from the book and smiled. "So because of the love that you felt when doing the spell, it became a blessing instead of a curse. I know I thanked you before for restoring my soul, but I thank you again now, for blessing me. Thank you Willow." Willow blushed a few shades of red, and smiled at the vampire that had his head buried back in the book.   
  
"So, I guess, according to this, I'm the Warrior.... Hey, we're mentioned alot in this book together." Angel looked back up at Willow who was by that time a nice shade of purple. He smirked, and let out a small chuckle. "So, we're suppost to be fighting evil together Willow." He stood up and turned a page in the book.   
  
"The Red-Witch will learn combat, so that the Warrior will not grieve." He read, and then turned. "I think that this means that you have to learn how to fight so that I won't ever have to worry about you getting hurt. Hmmm."   
  
"Well, I know how to fight a bit. Giles started to teach me and Xander alittle. He's in there too. Xander I mean.... He's called the White Knight." Willow stood and took the book from Angel, turned to a page and then handed the book back to the vampire.   
  
"The White Knight and the Red-Witch will fight to protect the Slayer, before finding their own paths. The way of the White Knight is dark. But he will take the darkness and change it into light. He will change hate into love, and anger into happiness. He will fight to protect all that is good, and by his side will be the Dark One. The Red-Witch will fight by the side of the Warrior, and together they will save the world." Angel grinned at Willow.   
  
"Too late. We've done that several times already. But I do wish that we had that book a few years ago. It would have been really helpful. You could have read it, and I would have taken notes, and then we would be like... the Master's gonna rise tonight, and Buffy will die... but Xander will bring her back. No worries." Willow looked wistful. Giles cleared his throat.  
  
"But books like that have a habit of showing up right when you need them, and not before. If we had the book before, Buffy might have become a lazy slayer, with all her battles mapped out ahead of time. But it came into our hands now." Giles took his glasses off and polished them. "It's probably telling us something. Like that you and Angel have to learn to fight together."   
  
"Giles is right. If I known what would have happened if I was with Buffy, then I never would have had a relationship with her. And that would have changed things. Maybe for the worse. You never know." Angel told Willow.  
  
"You're both right. But now we have to decide what to do with it. I mean it says that I'm going to be fighting with you. But you live out in L.A., and I live here. And how am I going to learn how to fight? I know a bit... but not a whole lot. And who is the one that Xander will be fighting with?" Willow asked to no one in particular.  
  
"He'll be with Spike. I can already see it happening. Spike went to visit Xander and his TV, and he found Xander on his bed, after his father knocked him around a bit. Spike is very confused at the moment. I think that my Childe is in love." Angel smiled at Willow and Giles' matched shocked expressions. "Xander will be good for my child. He'll bring the man out of the monster. I think that he'll make Spike love again."   
  
"Wow, I never thought. I mean... I thought that he hated Xander. He always makes fun of him and stuff like that." Willow stammered.  
  
"That's not how it works for a Vampire. Some of the Master Vampires go for the human forms of courting. Angelus was never one of them, as you saw with your fish. Spike like to do things right too. He'll court Xander in our way." Angel replied.   
  
"You mean... Angelus liked me?! I thought he hated all of us. He was going to kill me!" Willow looked up into the dark eyes of the Vampire, and there is where she found the truth. She was loved.  
  
"Angelus loved you because he saw a potential mate. The fish were a compliment. And he didn't kill you did he? Even when he had the chance." Angel looked back down at her, barly noticing as Giles wisely left the room. "I, on the other hand, court the human way." He said quietly into her ear before putting his hand under her chin to raise her face. He tilted his head down and gently kissed her. Willow moaned and kissed him back. They broke away just when Willow started to feel the need for air.   
  
"Angel! I... Wow! I didn't think that you even liked me. You always belonged to Buffy, and I know she wouldn't share." Angel's eyes grew a little darker when Willow mentioned Buffy, but he held Willow tighter in his arms.   
  
"Buffy is my past. That relationship was doomed from the start. She is the Slayer, and I am a Vampire. As the Slayer, she needs to be able to hate the Vampires that she kills. If she starts to see humanity in the enemy, she won't be able to kill them any more. Plus... we were never able to have an adult conversation. She never tried. I suppose I never tried to see things on her level either, so.... But that's over now. And I've moved on." He gave her a bright grin, and lowered his head to kiss her again.   
  
-  
  
Xander sat on the floor of his basement giving a ripped shirt a dirty look. He didn't hear the door open behind him, and he jumped when he heard a slight cough behind him.  
  
"I don't think that glarin' at the shirt is gonna fix it faster Pet." Spike said sitting beside the young mortal. Xander glared at the Vampire. "And you should have known I was in the room. No one should be able to sneak up on you. Hasn't the Watcher been training you at all?"   
  
"Nope. I'm able to mess up well enough without training thanks. Besides, the Vampire detection thing is reserved for Slayers only. Willow has a few witchy powers... but I'm just a normal mortal. Nothing special." Xander looked down at the shirt before him. "I don't know how to sew. I loved this shirt. And he ruined it. I bearly have any cloths left actually. I came home, and I found all the shirts in my closet slashed. I think he's trying to tell me to get out of the basement." Xander turned sad eyes to Spike.   
  
"Well, Pet, you could come with me. I just got an apartment. We could be room mates." Spike looked away to mask the hopeful look in his eyes.   
  
"Really? You'd like me to live with you?" Xanders sad eyes became bright with tears. Spike noticed, and clenched his jaw, trying not to take the mortal in his arms and keep him there forever.   
  
"Yeah. Well.... Come on... let's get your stuff. You can come back later and tell your bloody parents where you are if you want." Xander shook his head.  
  
"I'm not telling them anything. They'd 'visit,' and I don't think that you want them in your house." Xander said, meeting Spikes gaze. "And with the chip, you can't fight them off if they overstay their welcome." Xander stood up and picked up a bookbag, and started to walk around the room, filling the bag with things that he needed.  
  
"Pet, don't worry about the cloths, we can get you more later." Xander grinned at Spike and then picked up the blankets on his bed. He found pictures, and mementos. A few weapons that he had hidden went into the bag. He got his toothbrush, and turned back to the Vampire that was bouncing near the door.  
  
"All set. I don't have anything else." Xander looked around. "All the rest belong to them." Spike reached out and took the bag from Xander and led him out the door, and out into the night.  
  
-  
  
"Will you join me in L.A.? I could really use you." Angel sat on Giles' couch, holding Willow in his arms. If he could have lost his soul, he would have lost it at that moment. It was the happiest of his un-life.   
  
"Of course. I'll be a student at UCLA by day, and a witch detective at night." Willow turned in Angels lap so that she could kiss him.   
  
"And... you can stay with me if you'd like. I have the whole hotel full of rooms. You can pick one and use it as you'd like."   
  
"Hmmm.... I could use a workroom. I haven't had one... ever. But for sleeping, I'll use whatever one you're using." Willow smiled, and Angel let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to be a gentleman, but he also wanted Willow in his bed. She had solved his dilema quickly.   
  
"When can we leave?" Angel asked hopefully.  
  
"As soon as I throw my things in boxes, and find Xander to say goodbye. I can't leave Sunnydale without telling him. Buffy won't miss me really... but he would be frantic." Willow stood, and found Giles with his face in a book. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Giles. I'll miss you." Giles stood and gave Willow a large hug.   
  
"I'll miss you too. You've saved my life, and that of my slayer, and for that you have my eternal gratitude. And for being yourself, you have my eternal love and affection. Take good care of her Angel." Angel shook Giles' hand. And swept the red headed witch out the door.   
  
-  
  
"Wow! Spike this place is great! Where do you want me to put my stuff?" Xander asked while looking around the living room. The apartment was very big, but it was in the basement of a building, meaning few windows.  
  
"There's only one bedroom, so we'll be sharing." Spike led Xander into the bedroom which had a large fluffy looking bed in the middle. Together they unpacked Xanders things, and then went into the kitchen. "There isn't much food here luv. We're going to have to go shopping in a major way. Let's see you need cloths, we need more towels. Food. Plates and stuff. Hmmm..." Spike looked thoughful, but then glanced at the clock on the counter. "We'll have to do that tomorrow. All the stores are usually closed by three in the morning."  
  
"Yeah. People that don't fight evil tend to have normal sleeping habits." Xander smiled. "I sleep better during the day now. I should get a night job."   
  
"You know Pet, rent and everything is all taken care of. You really don't need to work if you don't want to. I have plenty of money. Angel taught me how to invest." Spike gave Xander a proud grin. "I'm rich."  
  
"But that would feel bad. I don't want you to have to support a couch potato." Xander gave Spike his sad eyes, and Spike melted.   
  
"If you want to work, then go ahead. I'm just saying that you don't have to." Spike said. He then opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a bag of blood. He popped it into the microwave, and waited for the blood to heat. When the microwave beeped, Spike opened the door, took the bag and bit into it.   
  
"Does it feel weird?" Spike nearly dropped his dinner.  
  
"Does what feel weird?" He replied.  
  
"Your face, when it goes all grrr. I mean, it has bumps and ridges, and I want to know if it feels odd." Xander blushed a bit.   
  
"No. It used to. But I've had over a hundred years to get used to it." Spike simled, which made him look even odder. Xander burst out into wild giggles.   
  
"Hehehehehe... Spike...!" Xander sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. Spike's smile turned into a glare.   
  
"What's so funny?" Spike asked pouting. He made puppy eyes with his game face still on, and that looked even funnier than the grin. Xander couldn't control the laughter that bubbled up inside him. He grabbed Spikes ears and pulled the Vampires face towards his own. Xander kissed Spike, making the blond go weak in the knees. Spike grabbed Xander around the waist, deepening the kiss. Spike broke the kiss, and led Xander back into the bedroom.   
  
-  
  
Angel handed Willow a quarter staff. She twirled it in her hands, and learned the feel of it. He demonstrated the basic positions, and taught her to spar. She was doing rather well, and had scored on him a few times when he called a halt to their practice.  
  
"That's enough for now. You're doing really well." Angel handed Willow a towel, and smiled as she wiped her forehead.   
  
"It's not fair, you know. That you don't sweat." Willow wrung out the towel, and took Angel's arm as he led her back to their room so that she could take a shower. "I never know how well I'm doing." She started to shed her cloths, and smiled at Angel who was leaning against a wall, watching.   
  
Willow had been living with him for a month, and during that time, he had taught her hand to hand, and how to throw daggers. Now he was starting on the close combat weapons. Willow was doing very well. What she didn't have in strength she made up for in quickness. Both of feet and of thought. She had actually scored on him a few times, with moves that he hadn't shown her yet. He was very proud of the hacker.   
  
"Sorry. No sweat is one of the perks that comes with the whole Vampire package." Angel smiled as Willow stuck her tounge out at him. "You are doing very well though. You're a natural." Willow smiled, and picked a towel from the closet. She left the door to the bathroom open so that they could continue speaking while she was in the shower. But Angel was having a difficult time holding a conversation. "You know, I think you're ready to patrol with me here."   
  
"Really? Have I learned enough?" Willow asked poking her head out of the shower.   
  
"Yes. But I will be expecting you to hold your own. I can't watch you all the time. Tomorrow night, we'll go out together." Angel laughed. "What a date. Let's go kill things." Willow giggled and shut off the water.   
  
"I know. You might have to start taking me out to movies just to balence out the weirdness factor." Willow winked at Angel.   
  
"The movies? Do they still have blood there to put on the pop-corn?" Angel asked. Willow turned around, her eyes wide, to see if he was serious.  
  
"NO!! You're kidding right?" Willow asked worried.  
  
"Well, Dru and Spike wanted to take me to the movies once, and they had fresh blood put on the pop-corn." Angel looked down at Willow, and smiled. "I have a feeling that it was Spike that got the blood for the pop-corn."   
  
"Speaking of Spike, I wonder how he and Xander are doing. I haven't heard from Xander in a few days." Willow wondered while stepping into Angel's embrace.   
  
-  
  
Xander blocked an incoming punch, and jumped away from a kick. He punched out to his right, and connected for only the second time in this fight. He kicked at his apponent, and went sailing across the room. He landed on the sofa, and layed there panting.   
  
"Mercy. That's enough." Xander said trying to regain his breath. He wiped at his brow, and smiled at his attacker.   
  
"That was pretty good mate. I didn't score on you much, and you actually hit me a few times. Do you know why I was able to throw you?" Spike asked. After every match they analized evey move.   
  
"I kicked too slow, and it was aimed to near where your hands were. Plus I keep forgeting that you're not like the Vampires that I have fought. They were slow and clumsy. You're very quick, and strong, and beautiful." He reached up, and brushed his hand across the white cheek that hovered above him.   
  
"That's nice luv, but that doesn't tell me why you lost the fight." Spike said with a slight smirk on his face.  
  
"Yes it does. I can't fight you. I mean, I know that you can't hurt me because I'm human. But I can't hurt you because I lo- I care for you...." Xander turned a shade of red that rivaled any that Willow had ever turned. Spike perked up, and smiled.  
  
"What were you going to say? Come on, I promise not to laugh." Spike said, his eyes sparkling in anticipation.   
  
"I love you. That's what I was going to say. Are you happy now? A stupid human 'happy meal on legs' has fallen in love with William the Bloody." Xander turned his face away from the Vampire, trying to hide the tears that were building in his eyes.   
  
"I can't call you stupid luv. Because, William the Bloody has fallen for his human 'happy meal on legs'. In fact, I don't see you as just food anymore luv. You're my Xan-pet, and I love you." Spike took the dark man into his arms and cuddled him. Rocking back and forth. Xander turned his face upwards to accept the blond Vampire's kiss.   
  
"May I stay with you Spike? Forever, I mean. I want to be yours always." Xander asked seriously. "I don't know if I want to be a Vampire. But there has to be a way for me to stay with you." Spike was now the one with tears in his eyes.  
  
"Yes pet. You can stay with me for as long as you want. And there has to be a way. Tomorrow, we'll go to go to see Red and Peaches. Maybe they'll have an idea. They have the same problem." Spike kissed the top of Xander's head.  
  
-  
  
"Mmmmm... Angel, that feels wonderful! Keep doing that! Oh Man... Ahhhhh." Angel chuckled at the noises his love was making. She had taken a three hour exam in a programing class, Angel couldn't understand half of what the class was teaching. She came back complaining that her head hurt... and Angel decided to help. Warm oil, and his hands made Willow feel like melted butter.  
  
"I can think of other things that will make you feel good." Angel smiled, and messaged a little lower. Willow smiled and rolled over. Angel started to make good on his words, but was interupted by the door bursting open. Willow shreaked and grabbed a blanket to cover herself. Spike and Xander strode into the room, and had almost identical smirks on their faces.  
  
"Well now... have we interupted anything? Is this a bad time?" Spike asked laughing. Willow blushed, and Xander smacked Spike on the arm, and dragged him out of the room so that Willow could get some cloths on.  
  
-  
  
"So, what brings you two to LA?" Angel asked when Willow joined them in the living room.  
  
"We have some questions that we thought you two might know the answers to. Like, how can I live forever? And what was in that book thing that Giles told me about?" Xander asked his best friend, and her mate.  
  
"Hmmm, I've been wondering the same thing. I'm suppost to help you Angel, but I wont be able to do that for long. I'm mortal. I'll die of old age eventually, and then, it'll be kinda hard for me to be a help." Willow looked at her lover, and giggled. "I guess you could turn me, but I think as a Vampire, I was rather evil... so, I don't think that that would be a good thing." Angel looked over at Spike, and his look turned serious.  
  
"We could make them our mates. Then, they would be immortal, and still be human." Spike looked at Angel in shock.   
  
"But that means that we all have to... and you and him, and me and her... is that an okay thing to do?" Spike asked. Willow and Xander wore identical expressions of confusion on their faces. Angel shook his head.  
  
"We can ask them. They can always say no if they don't want to do it." Angel answered. He looked at the confused WIllow, and sighed. "There's something that we could do. It would make you both immortal, and it would bind the four of us together."   
  
"What does it involve?" Willow asked.   
  
"It will bind the four of us together, so we all need to be together, and there's a bit with blood." Angel answered.   
  
"Be together?" Xander asked. "In what way do we need to be together? Live together? Have a meal together?" He looked at his blond Vampire, and sighed when Spike shook his head.  
  
  
  
  
So... good? bad? Whatever... just review.... It's good karma and all. Plus nice reviewers give me a happy!! ::Blows kisses::  



End file.
